Gear Guides: The Best Dog Toys, Beds, Treats and More

With so many dog products on the market, however is one to decide what to take home for your pet? Here, for your perusal, is our series of gear guides for toys, treats, collars and everything in between:

How to Find the Best Dog Bed - Like humans, all dogs desire a comfortable place to relax. With beds in every size, shape and color available, choosing the right type of bed for your pet can be a bit overwhelming. Here are a few things to keep in mind...

The Best Kinds of Toys for Your Dog - Are you having trouble selecting a toy your dog will absolutely adore? Check out our brief introduction to the types of toys out there and a list of our favorites...

The Best Type of Collar for Your Dog - Choosing the right dog collar is one of the most important decisions you will make for your dog. This dog collar buying guide should help you make the right choice...

Buying the Right Dog Carrier - Getting the right dog crate while perusing the many styles of dog carriers can be daunting. But worry not, help is on the way...

Choosing the Best Treat for Your Dog - There are many types of dog goodies out there on the market and many of them are homemade dog treats. Here's how to make your own...

Essential Tools for Dog Grooming - If you'd rather not pay a groomer to keep your pet's coat manageable, you'll need some tools and tips to do the job right at home. Here's how to maximize your grooming success...

The Best Types of Toys for Your Dog

Are you trying to find great gifts for your dog amongst the millions of dog products on the market? Perhaps you're having difficulty selecting toys your dog will love? A brief introduction to some favorite dog toys and dog supplies will help you choose the best dog toys for your canine companion.

Food-Dispensing Toys:

Kongs: A Kong is a snowman-shaped rubber toy that can be stuffed with a variety of treats. Frozen Kongs are long-lasting and great for hot summer days. Kongs can be filled with canned dog food (mixed with kibble, if you like), cottage cheese, yogurt, peanut butter, ground raw meats, biscuits, meatballs, etc. Buy at least two Kongs, so one can be in the freezer at all times. Kongs are made in a variety of sizes and chewing strengths - from puppy to senior, "regular" red Kongs to black Kongs for power chewers (and blue Kongs, for the strongest of chewers), in sizes for dogs from 5 to 200 pounds. Dishwasher safe.

Tug-a-Jug: The Tug-a-Jug (TaJ) is a transparent plastic bottle which is filled with kibble. The bottom of the TaJ has small holes through which the kibble can be scented. At the top of the bottle is an opening through which a rubber rope is threaded - this rope rolls around sporadically as the dog pushes the bottle around, releasing kibble as it goes. Dishwasher safe.

Buster Cubes: Buster Cubes are plastic cubes (coming in small and large sizes) containing a number of internal chambers which hold kibble. The Buster Cube's level of difficulty can be adjusted according to the individual dog's proficiency. Buster Cubes can be very loud when rolling around on hardwood floors (as can TaJs), and are somewhat less easy to clean than Kongs and TaJs.

Nina Ottosson Toys: Nina Ottosson (N.O.) toys are the Cadillac of food dispensing toys. With a relatively diverse product line, the interactive Nina Ottosson toys come in plastic (dishwasher safe) or wood models, and are divided into three different levels of difficulty - easy, medium, hard. Is your dog the destructive type? Don't leave her unsupervised with these great puzzle toys!

DIY TaJ: Only give this toy to your dog when supervised. Drill kibble-sized holes into a clean plastic bottle. Insert kibble, screw on lid, voila! Home made TaJ!

Yard or Home: Throw away those food bowls! Dogs should earn food through training, toys, and scent games. Hide your dog's meal of kibble throughout your living room, home, or yard and let him "hunt" for his meal by sniffing it out!

Tug Toys

Without question, CleanRun.com has the best selection of tug toys. They have leather tugs, rubber tugs, furry tugs, and even food-dispensing tugs! Some dogs like rope tugs - these can also be soaked in low-sodium chicken broth, frozen, and given to teething puppies (under supervision, of course).

DIY Tug Toy: One yard of three foot fleece fabric, cut into three strips (smaller strips may be needed for smaller dogs). Knot one end, braid tightly and knot at other end. Tie...

Traditional dog collars can present several injury risks from being caught and tangles; that is why break-away collars are designed to release under pressure in such situations, and are a safer alternative. Check below for more information or to find dog collar and accessory suppliers.